The Theft of the Choco Shrooms
by Nicole Prower
Summary: Pennington tells a curious case when Mario s cereal box disappeared, and our Bumpty sleuth investigates. Quite funny, but a long one-shot. Enjoy! **NEWS! I CHECKED THE DOCUMENT, AND IT IS COMPLETE NOW! SO SORRY...!**


**zThe Theft of the Choco Shrooms**

It was early morning, breakfast time. I was totally absorbed into the task of eating my toasts, so I could not hear the ringing phone until it had ringed nearly thrice. Had it not been the aid of my Poshley Sanctum´s echoing nature, I would never have heard the ringing appliance.

"Pennington!" excailmed the one on the other side of the dial.

"Yes it is me, Mario," I said, recognizing the voice. "I am completely to your disposition after-"

"Oh thank the stars!" he cried. "Come to my home, please! I need your help! I have been stolen!"

"Geez, Mario but right now-"

"I knew I could trust you!" and the phone turned silent.

Mario hung up, and I was left alone, with a mission, and no time to eat.

I took a pipe that Mario had installed in front of the city´s fountain, near to the one leading to Rougeport, but coloured red. The pipe led to Toad Town´s Main Square. I gaited to the last pipe that I had to take for reaching my destination.

In a few seconds I was in front of Mario´s home. Kinda dog-like, I thought.

Anyhow, I could not stop into thinking for a long time; Mario came hurling to me. He was upset, as if the crime was a terrible one.

"Explain me what happened," I commanded.

"Pennington! Listen, what happened was that I was robbed! Someone took my cereal box from the cupboard! It was the last box in the store—and I was eating that for breakfast!"

"Cereal box, eh?"

"Yes, Choco Shrooms, to be specific."

"Hmmm... your cupboard is in the kitchen, correct?"

"Rightyo."

"Let´s head there, then."

The kitchen was quite compact, and its tiny space, it held a twisted mess. A container of ice cream was on the table, with a few spreckles and spots all around the floor and the table. I took a glimpse of Mario, and I noticed a few splashes on his shirt. Mario was truly desperate, I thought. At least he had eaten...

There, we found Luigi (yes, the green-clad guy)sitting in a chair. I noticed some sticky, sweet-smelling, candy-like substance in his mouth and lips...

Maybe he ate a little ice cream.

"What? Hey, it´s Pennington. What are you doing here?" Luigi asked, in a curiously edgy, giddy tone... Was he ashamed of the mess? Was it he hid ANYTHING?

Whatever.

"I came to investigate the sudden diappearance of a cereal box."

"Oh... The Choco Shrooms?"

"Correct. Any idea of its whereabouts?"

"I doubt so.."

I chose to check the next room. I found a bunk bed, with the top bunk red; the bottom, green. I noticed a drawer. I was going to inspect it when...-I fell!

*FLOP* I was on some crazy hidden lair. I reasoned that this was a hidden room, and that the entrance (or at least, my entrance) was in front of the drawers! Ingenious! A perfect hiding place for any criminal mastermind!

Speaking of mastermind, I spotted something that would have led me to the culprit... if I had found the owner´s name printed on it. It was a diary. Green book, nice script.

I began scrolling through it. Several diary entries were quite poor, usually saying things such as: "Today I opened my window, and when I peeked throught it, a pigeon got my hair dirty with its... wastes. Eeeeww! Slimy!"

I found that quite pointless. I turned into investigation when my eyes had accustomed to the darkness. A few chocolate smelling chunks of cereal were spread on the floor, following a trail. I followed it, and then—I heard paces above me.

"Mario!"

The paces came to an ending. "Pennington? Where are you?"

"I am under you! Somewhere under the flooring! Looks like an hidden room..." I shouted, wailing.

"Oh. That? It is Luigi´s secret room... if you can call that a secret. Listen, search for a spring...somewhere around the desk."

"Oh, yes. There is a picture of a spring with an oversized lily floting in there and..."

"No, you fool! I mean a spring FOR BOUNCING!" Mario stubbornly hollered.

And so, I found the spring, or, as I should call it, a trampouline, on the desk at Luigi´s liar. Then... I noticed the empty box of Choco Shrooms on top of the desk. The tiny pieces of carbohydrates tasting like chocolate were spread in small amount all around the desk. This led me to a conclusion: the thief was Luigi!

"Mario I think that..."

"It is on the table, you fool!"

Reluctantly, and not willing to fight with the stubborn plumber, I grabbed the spring´s handle. I placed it at a cleared spot on the floor´s tiles. It seems that it was where the spring used to be. I placed it... and I jumped... but I bumped my head in the trapdoor. Twice. Mario was blocking the trapdoor. A fat plumber causes fat troubles!

"Move it, fatso!" I screamed. Mario moved just in time for me to pass without bumping my head...again. Unfortunately, I blew my head at the ceiling due to the inertia I had accumulated. I fell to the ground, flat as a flapjack.

"It was Luigi," I declared with pain.

"Luigi did nothing," Luigi cried in defense. After shooting a glance at him from my flat position, I made him confess.

"I admit it! I thought that Choco Shrooms would make me faster! It was because of their slogan... _You will rush to eat them_! I am sorry!"

Luigi was whimpering, I was hungry, and Mario was taking another box from the drawer.

"You had more cereal?" I asked, outraged.

"Yes. Who wouldn´t buy another box when they are at two for the price of one?"

If I could have moved my flat, sore body, I would have slapped him with my flippers.


End file.
